Please can you help me find this book?

[PinkysEars]

I'm driving myself mad with frustration because I can't remember a book/author. Please can you help me?

It's about a woman who moves to a small English village (possibly because her marriage is over, not sure about that bit) and starts to do up a house. She finds some sort of household book that is contemporaneous with the house and follows a few of the instructions. I don't remember many examples, but one is definitely making tallow dips.

To start with the villagers are quite interested in her "finds" but then she creates a ruckus/offends them by making them feel as though she's actually patronising them.

I read a few books by this woman and liked them all, but I'm damned if I can remember her name.

Please help me: I've googled the hell out of it and I'm getting nowhere.

Great result! I'm off to look it up now!

Glad you found it OP.

The book about the author who sends someone else off on a book tour sounds like Based on a True Story by the French writer Delphine de Vigan, just FYI.

Oh that's interesting Ton. I think it's Janice Gentle Gets Sexy that I meant (also Mavis Cheek) but it shows, at risk of cliche, that there's nothing new under the sun.

I've not heard of Delphine de Vigan so I'm off to look her up. Thank you!

I love this book!
Aunt Margaret’s Lover is another brilliant one of hers.

Off to try the book, but amazed by gaviscon having guessed it.